A decade of unforgettable meals calls for a proper celebration. This April, Herb & Wood marks its 10-year anniversary, honoring ten years of shaping San Diego’s culinary identity from its stylish home in Little Italy.

Since opening in 2016, the restaurant has played a defining role in modern San Diego dining, ushering in a more ingredient-driven, chef-forward era while setting the standard for design, hospitality, and overall experience.

A Month of Throwback Favorites and Celebratory Surprises

To commemorate the milestone, Herb & Wood is celebrating all month long by bringing back a selection of OG favorites alongside the signature dishes that have remained staples over the years.

Order from the anniversary lineup and receive a scratcher ticket for a chance to win prizes like a whole Jamón Ibérico ham leg, a custom Johnny Lane painting, and a coveted “lifetime” branzino card. It’s a fun and fitting way to toast one of San Diego’s most influential restaurants.

A Collaborative Anniversary Dinner

The celebration concludes with a special four-course anniversary dinner featuring standout chefs from the Puffer Malarkey Collective. Brian Malarkey, Aidan Owens, Tara Monsod, and Kylie Cablayan will come together for an unforgettable evening that highlights their creativity and culinary artistry.

The celebratory menu includes:

Course One

• Parker House Rolls with honey herb butter
• Oyster & Beef Tartare with smoked oyster mayo, caramelized onion, and beef fat snow

Course Two

• Lechon Kawali with grilled strawberries, pickled mustard seeds, pickled Tokyo negi, mustard frill, and strawberry sarsa

Course Three

• Woodfired Tenderloin & Charred Prawns with garlic and chili, fennel oil, celery root, and whipped tallow butter

Course Four

• Funfetti Cake with blueberry jam, lemon curd, and Swiss meringue buttercream

This one-night-only collaboration is a delicious tribute to Herb & Wood’s legacy and a memorable way to toast ten remarkable years in Little Italy.

A Defining Force in San Diego Dining

Over the past decade, Herb & Wood has become a cornerstone of Little Italy’s vibrant dining scene. Known for its warm ambiance and thoughtfully crafted menu, it continues to set the tone for modern dining in San Diego.

Whether revisiting longtime favorites or discovering something new, this anniversary celebration is the perfect excuse to gather around the table and raise a glass to ten remarkable years.

See you there!

We’ll be celebrating in Little Italy with throwback bites, celebratory pours, and plenty of toasts to ten iconic years at Herb & Wood.

📆 April 3 – 29, 2026 | Culmination celebration April 30
📍 2210 Kettner Blvd, San Diego
🎟️ Book your table here
ℹ️ Click here for updates

See you there, San Diego!

The San Diego Wave and their fans deserved every second of the festive Friday morning that played out at Snapdragon Stadium.

Wave personnel and fans erupted in cheers as Catarina Macario, a star striker with San Diego roots who agreed to a record-setting contract, displayed a Wave No. 20 jersey at an introductory news conference.

Macario, 26, has taken injury detours, but stands indisputably as one of the world’s better goal-scorers among women.

The Torrey Pines High School and San Diego Surf alum’s local pedigree may also boost the fifth-year Wave, who through no fault of the club’s current leaders, lost considerable star power in recent years, contributing to an attendance decline.

At a reported $8 million, the five-year deal is reportedly the most for a women’s soccer player.

Macario, smiling often, labeled her new reality “unreal,” while seated next to Wave sporting director Camille Ashton.

She was 12 when family members, seeking better opportunities, brought her from Brazil to live in San Diego after first visiting Dallas.

“I never would have imagined, I guess, that 12-year-old Cat, not knowing how to speak English, being super scared, would one day come back and get to represent her hometown team,” Macario said. “It’s very special. It’s something I’m very proud of. It will just mean that much more, once I step on the field.”

Ashton called it “a monumental signing.”

Ashton, formerly Camille Levin, won a national championship with Stanford as a player. She said Macario, who came to Stanford after Ashton turned pro, fits well into the possession-driven, uptempo style the Wave have developed in a season-plus under coach Jonas Eidevall.

“Cat is a world-class player of exceptional quality, intelligence and character,” Ashton said. “Her technical ability, vision and goal-scoring instinct make her one of the most exciting talents in the game today. Just as importantly, she brings a professionalism and competitive drive that will both complement and elevate the high standards already established within our squad.”

Turmoil marked the 2024 season, the franchise’s final one under team president Jill Ellis and coach Casey Stoney.

Ellis fired Stoney, the franchise’s coach since its inception, before midseason. The team’s offense was tedious, leading to a ninth-place finish and the franchise missing the playoff cut for the first time. Ellis, amid reports of a harsh work environment, moved on.

In the first full year under Ashton and Eidevall, the Wave’s offense improved and the team made the playoffs, but was bounced in one game.

Macario will give the Wave a better chance to rebound at the gate and on the pitch from the exodus of popular stars Alex Morgan (retirement in 2024), midfielder Jaedyn Shaw (traded at her request in January 2025) and defender Naomi Girma (who was transferred to Chelsea later that month for $1.1 million).

The Macario signing comes 16 months after Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine, founders of a private equity firm in Los Angeles, completed a $120-million purchase of the Wave.

The record contract “just shows how serious they are about me, and getting the club to succeed even more,” Macario said.

NWSL leaders facilitated the deal as well. Ashton said the league’s adoption four months ago of the High Impact Player Rule, allowing an exception to the salary cap, “came at an incredibly good time.”

Macario said she knows several Wave players and played with versatile fullback Perle Morroni on France’s top club team, Lyon.

Given that Macario has scored goals at an extraordinary pace throughout her career — with the Surf, Torrey Pines, Stanford, Lyon and Chelsea — there’s only one major concern about how her Wave career will play out:

Health.

A left ACL injury suffered in the final game of her season with Lyon four years ago cost her a full season.

An irritation in her right knee cost her a spot on the U.S. team that won gold at the 2024 Olympics in France.

She was sidelined in recent months at Chelsea, creating uncertainty about her Wave debut.

“We’re confident her best years are ahead,” Ashton said.

Macario offered no details Friday about when she’ll be ready to play for the Wave, who’ll face Chicago in a home game today.

Smiling, she suggested being in San Diego will improve her health.

“Maybe the skies were a little too gray for me,” she quipped about health setbacks in England and France. “The sunshine will help me heal a little bit quicker.”

For a franchise that was enveloped by clouds in 2024, the forecast grew much brighter Friday.